CammyF

Get Well Soon Skippy Cammy F

Carrying on from Frankie’s brilliantly written and though provoking article, Rangers FC, A House Of Cards - http://www.gersnetonline.net/vb/showthread.php?t=8803 I thought that I would add to the dreachness of the morning by trying to establish why or club appear to be determined to hand the SPL title to Celtc. As I said in my rants early in the week, we are consistently inconsistent and I can’t remember a time where I have been as frustrated at our form as I am at this moment. Sure there have been times when we have been worse than this, there is no doubting this, but the frustration comes about having witnessed this squad dismantle Celtc at Parkhead, Hibs at Easter Road whilst playing a brand of football synonymous with Rangers Football Club. Then we have had to endure the dross served up at Love Street, Falkirk Stadium and last night at Fir Park. Once again last night we started with little urgency thus allowing our opponents to settle into the game and dictate the pace and flow of the game. Motherwell are a physical team and were quite happy with the ball being leathered from one corner of Fir Park to another. That is their strength, and it is also our weakness. We are outnumbered, out-muscled and more worryingly, out-played on the midfield area for the entire 90 minutes last night. We played to Motherwell’s strengths and had no-one either in the dug-out or on the pitch who had the capacity to change our tactics and play to our strengths. There has been a trend recently where when we are struggling to impose ourselves in games that we revert to the high ball / long ball game. This plays right into the hands of the opposition. 2 towering centre halves (the prerequisite for SPL teams these days), backed up with physical full-backs and tough tackling midfield players, lap this up. What they don’t like is football being played round about them. So instead of dominating games, establishing our pace, footballing ability, we get dragging into a war of attrition and inevitably drop points. So how is to blame for this trend? The players have to take their share of the responsibilities, but the management team appear to lack the leadership required to ensure that we can start a game with the necessary urgency to stamp our authority on proceedings. I understand that we have no divine right to win any game, we have to earn the right to win games and titles. However, I believe as we have been weakened on the pitch, teams in the SPL are no longer intimidated whilst playing Rangers. In our prime, we carried an aura with us – we weren’t invincible, but teams knew when they played Rangers, we are capable of destroying them playing football, but had the players who could and would stand up to a physical battle. Ian Ferguson, Stuart McCall, Nigel Spackman, Graham Roberts, Richard Gough, Terry Butcher, John Brown, Mark Hateley – all fantastic football players, but also players who wouldn’t be frightened to go toe-to-toe with anyone of the nature of the game demanded it. Those type of players won their battles and allowed players like Gazza, Laudrup, Walters, Wilkins, McCoist, et al to then play the football that would win us the games. Quite simply, we don’t have that mix at the moment, and clearly, we don’t have that quality at our disposal either. Currently, we are deploying 4 centre-halves in our back four. Our midfield consists of 3 centre midfield players and a front man pitched in for good measure. Our front two try hard and have differing qualities, but to be honest, neither of them score the crucial goals that win you games like last night on a consistent enough basis. We have played the majority of this season with absolutely no width in the team. Opposition managers know this and use it to there advantage, There were times last night where you could have thrown a blanked over our 11 players, they were so narrow and so close together. Walter Smith has another frustrating trait – his use of substitutions. Firstly, some are mind-boggling in the extreme and almost all of them are never a simple ‘straight swap’. Take last night as an example – Novo for Lafferty – looked like the correct move at the time (maybe 5 or 10 minutes later than expected, but the correct move none-the-less). Anyway, on comes Novo to play wide left? No, Novo moves into the centre, Miller moved out left? In saying that, the above deficiencies, whilst being glaring, are not unfixable. Compare them to the gross incompetence of the officials and they pail into insignificance (however, they are the only deficiencies that we have complete control over). The standards of refereeing and assistant refereeing in the SPL this season have been disgraceful bordering on the corrupt. It is safe to say that we have fallen foul to at least one controversial / crucial decision in almost everyone of our SPL games this season (another perfectly good goal wrongly chopped of last night) and at the same time, Celtc have been the beneficiaries of at least one controversial and crucial in almost everyone of their SPL games. I don’t think that the above statement sounds paranoid, as there are facts, pictures, video footage et al to back these claims up. So what can be done about these? Well, our club could be doing a better job in highlighting these decisions. We hear / see every other SPL manager (and in Celtc’s case, Chairman et al) banging on about all the decisions that go against them, so why not us? Well, I’ll tell you why not us, our Chairman doesn’t care. Ask him for a quote about the big, bad Rangers fans singing songs, or posting on websites and its ‘pens and Dictaphones at the ready’, I’ll give you enough to fill a 100 papers. Ask him to defend us, or challenge officials who are bordering on the corrupt? Silence is golden in Murray Towers. So, in conclusion, have we thrown away the league title this early in the season? Well, on current form, it’s impossible to believe that we can go to places like Tannidice, Tynecastle (both loaming large on the horizon), Pittodrie et al and gaining 3 points. It’s hard to see where Celtc are going to drop points. We are looking at an OF game at Xmas that could see us a trailing them by 4 points (at least) and stacks enormous pressure on us to deliver a performance and a result. Lose that game and it could be all over bar the shouting. Where does that leave Walter and his staff? Well, losing a 4th consecutive league title would be catastrophic, and I’d like to believe that it would mean (yet another) change in manager. Tough times ahead folks and we must no witness leadership from the top – are we going to get it? As is the case with Mr Murray’s last decade in charge at Ibrox, we are left with more questions than answers. Cammy F

Read on another forum that the last time Celtc defeated us in a Cup Final was ...................... May 1989.... and the cheated in that final In saying that, we have to beat Falkirk and they have to defeat DUFC...! Cammy F

continued : Swathes of Liverpool and Everton fans can trace their Irish heritage back to when their ancestors sailed to England. Likewise the Arsenal fans of Kilburn and other areas of London heavily populated by descendents of Irish settlers, but they donââ?¬â?¢t embarrass their club in the way Celtic fans do. Thatââ?¬â?¢s because their board of directors donââ?¬â?¢t actively encourage them to. History has shown us that Celtic Football Club and its fans have used anything at their disposal to express their pro-Irish Republican anti British stance. On Saturday, even by their own standards, they reached a new all time low. The scandalous events show us nothing has changed in over 100 years. Celtic fans espouse a brand of puss-filled Irish Republicanism that brings with it a hatred unrivalled anywhere in European football. This is Scotlandââ?¬â?¢s REAL secret shame. ââ?¬Ë?When you go home, tell them of us and say, for their tomorrow, we gave our todayââ?¬â?¢ Cecil Withers passed away on 17th April 2005, at the ripe old age of 106. May he rest in peace. Were he were alive to witness Saturdays events, one wonders if heââ?¬â?¢d still believe the sacrifice of his fellow soldiers made was worth it. ------------------------------------------------------- Cammy F

... but a must read : Silence is not Green, White and Golden In December 1915, when I was seventeen and a half, I ran away from home to join the 4th Battalion East Surreys. I was under age so I had to lie to the recruitment sergeant. I said I was eighteen years old and my name was Sydney Harrison. I told the truth later though, because if Iââ?¬â?¢d been killed as Harrison, nobody would ever have known what happened to me. Arras was the first time I went over the top. We played football together as we went over. That was the tradition in the East Surreys. I remember the ball dropping at my feet and I passed it to Captain Maxwell. ââ?¬Ë?That was a good pass you made young Withers!ââ?¬â?¢ he shouted before he thumped it towards the German lines. I got wounded at the end of that battle. I was temporarily blinded in one eye but it could have been worse. At the end of the battle, I lay bleeding in a trench. There was blood coming out of my eye, pouring out all over my face. My head looked blown in. They thought I was dead and they were going to bury me. I was in a half-conscious state and I can remember a soldier getting hold of me and saying ââ?¬Å?Here ââ?¬â?? this blokes alive!ââ?¬â?¢ That man saved my life, by calling that out. Iââ?¬â?¢d have been buried alive in Arras, if it hadnââ?¬â?¢t been for him. Above, the words of Cecil Withers from the book ââ?¬Å?Last Post ââ?¬â?? The Final Word From Our First World War Soldiersââ?¬Â. Cecil recounts his time on the Western Front as a teenager fighting for our country. Last weekend 65 senior football matches were played in Great Britain. Prior to kick-off at 64 of them, fans of opposing clubs put aside their rivalries and stood silent in tribute to those brave men and women who gave their lives in service of our country. In the 65th senior game the mould was broken. Celtic Football Club spat in the face of common decency by instead hosting a minuteââ?¬â?¢s applause in recognition of those who made the ultimate sacrifice. Think about it. Applause. For 20 million lives destroyed. Those of a Celtic persuasion couldnââ?¬â?¢t even bring themselves to admit who they were honouring. The Celtic Park Master of Ceremonies told the 55,000 crowd the minuteââ?¬â?¢s applause was to remember ââ?¬Å?the Celtic players who died in both World Warsââ?¬Â. He further stated that the clapping of hands to show respect for the dead is ââ?¬Å?the Celtic wayââ?¬Â. It most certainly is. Of course the increasingly incompetent Lex Gold of the SPL must shoulder part of the blame for the shame that this has heaped upon Scottish football. The option of a minuteââ?¬â?¢s applause as an alternative to the traditional silence should never have entered his distorted mind. In the name of decency it simply shouldnââ?¬â?¢t have been an option. Letââ?¬â?¢s not mince words here. This option was devised to save Celtic Football Club acute embarrassment. In decrying Gold, letââ?¬â?¢s not lose sight of who the real culprits are in this blackest of days for Scottish football. Celtic Football Club. Their directors and Chief Executive could and should have insisted they follow protocol. Their Chairman is a former Secretary for Defence for Godââ?¬â?¢s sake. They could and should have shown they cared and turned their backs on the hate-filled cretins amongst their support who intended disrupting proceedings. They could and should have requested police eject anyone breaking the silence from their stadium or arrest them for breach of the peace. But damage limitation, not decency and decorum, was order of the day and foremost in the minds of John Reid, Peter Lawwell and Co. ââ?¬Å?Keep the name of Celtic clean at all costsââ?¬Â the mantra once again. Thus they opted to shame themselves and their football club in the most contemptible way imaginable. Predictably the Celtic-minded apologists were at their pre and post-match best, deflecting and rewriting as only they can. On Saturday morning the Daily Record told us the minutes applause was introduced in Scotland after Hearts fans disrupted a silence for the Pope. Lies. The first minutes applause in Scotland took place at Ceptic Park in honour of the late great George Best. The reason? Best had made some derogatory remarks about Gerry Adams and the IRA in his Mail on Sunday column a year earlier, propmting outrage in Republican circles. The Celtic heirarchy knew any silence would be disrupted. At pains to propagate the increasingly risible ââ?¬Å?tiny-minorityââ?¬Â line, the media once again did Peter Lawwellââ?¬â?¢s bidding for him. Numbers for those who walked out of Celtic Park in protest against ââ?¬Å?British Imperialismââ?¬Â ranged from a few hundred to Hugh Keevinsââ?¬â?¢ ridiculous 20 figure. Mark Guidi in the Sunday Mail clawed hopelessly as he stated ââ?¬Å?a maximum of 80 Celtic fans left the stadiumââ?¬Â. How bloody desperate. Celtic of course refused to speak out, their work done for them. ââ?¬Å?Not worthy of commentââ?¬Â said a Celtic spokesman, just as 3500 of their fans singing loudly in tribute to their IRA heroes at Tynecastle the previous weekend had similarly been ââ?¬Å?not worthy of commentââ?¬Â. Are we really to believe that these same morons would have respected a silence one week on? The same Celtic supporters who had verbally abused poppy-sellers outside the Hearts stadium? The same Hearts who lost a whole first team in the fields of France during the Great War? Of course they would. We know exactly what would have happened, and Celtic knew too. Thousands of their clubs fans would have been shown up for exactly what they are ââ?¬â?? hate-filled, shameless anti-British fascists and racists. Keevins described the actions of the assembled throng of IRA sympathisers as ââ?¬Å?a serious embarrassment for us as a countryââ?¬Â. Wrong Mr. Keevins. They are a serious embarrassment to Ireland as a country, for these creatures are not Scottish or British, they are Irish. Ask them for yourself. On Saturday night I watched the Festival of Remembrance on BBC1. I sat in awe as Lance Corporal Mathew Croucher of 40 Commando Royal Marines was piped in carrying the Book of Remembrance, by Scottish soldiers. Lance Corporal Croucher had thrown his body across a live hand-grenade to save the lives of two of his comrades. Only his backpack saved him from being blown to pieces. He was awarded the George Cross for his bravery. I was reminded of Sergeant Michael Willets of 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment, husband and father, who threw himself on top of a hand-grenade tossed into Springfield Road Police Station Belfast by the IRA in 1971. Sergeant Willets gave his own life to save the lives of Catholic/Nationalist/Republican women and children sheltering in the station. He was posthumously awarded the George Cross. I continued to watch as British soldiers of all races, creeds and colours paid tribute to fallen comrades. I listened intently as Lt. Col. Joe Oââ?¬â?¢Sullivan 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment lamented the loss of three of his men in Iraq. The Lt. Col. could Iââ?¬â?¢m sure trace his roots back to Ireland should he so choose. This set me thinking. Why are people like Joe Oââ?¬â?¢Sullivan, and thousands of others like him, fully assimilated and proud of the adopted country of their ancestors, yet we in West-Central Scotland have the continual embarrassment and perpetual shame of those of Irish ancestry who despise us? The answer is Celtic Football Club. An organisation diseased to its core. In the beginning we had Marist Brother Walfrid introducing bigotry to football when founding the club ââ?¬Å?prompted by a fear that Protestant soup kitchens might tempt young Catholics into apostasyââ?¬Â and ââ?¬Å?worried about the dangers of young Catholics meeting Protestants in their place of employment or leisureââ?¬Â (Football historian Bill Murray from his book ââ?¬Å?The Old Firmââ?¬Â). Walfrid's co-recruitment agent for Celtic was a ******, Pat Welsh, on the run from Ireland suspected of murder. Choice company for a man of the cloth. This would of course be the same Walfrid that Celtic history books clearly document as leading the singing of Irish rebel songs in St Mary's Parish Hall, Glasgow, in November 1887. On to the opening ceremony for Celtic Park when the convicted ****** gun-runner and ââ?¬Å?embittered Irish Nationalist who was anti-British to the backboneââ?¬Â Michael Davitt laid the first piece of turf. Fast-forward to September 17th 1941, when the SFA closed Parkhead for a month because of Celtic fansââ?¬â?¢ ââ?¬Å?serious misbehaviour and pro-German chantsââ?¬Â. To the Falklands conflict when Ce ltic fans chanted ââ?¬Å?Argentina, Argentinaââ?¬Â and ââ?¬Å?Malvinas, Malvinasââ?¬Â in support of Galtieriââ?¬â?¢s fascist military dictatorship. Not forgetting 30 years of Provisional IRA support and the Celtic Board of Directorsââ?¬â?¢ insistence on P.A. broadcasts of dewy-eyed ballads ââ?¬Å?rebelling against the Crownââ?¬Â and featuring ââ?¬Å?let the people singââ?¬Â Irish Republican lyrics. I could add the Irish Republican vocalist at Jackie MacNamaraââ?¬â?¢s testimonial, the disruption of a minutes silence for a member of the Royal Family, Republican flute bands playing at testimonial matches, Celtic players singing IRA songsââ?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦Ã¢â?¬Â¦.. I would also mention the dozens of ââ?¬Å?Celtic pubsââ?¬Â that are little more than meeting places and breeding grounds for terrorist sympathisers and what former Celtic chairman Fergus McCann so deftly described as ââ?¬Å?Celtic-minded Catholic bigotsââ?¬Â. Witness the IRA theme park that the Barrowlands ghetto of Glasgow has become with its Sinn Fein shops and public houses festooned in Irish Republican symbology. Shame on Glasgow City Council who seem happy to allow this area to expand.

Nope - recently changed their socks back to the traditional red and black - just like the Rangers Cammy F

What, no Kris Boyd - shocking decision considering the goal-scoring form he's been in recently Cammy F

Seconded... Another song that should be considered is Green Fields Of France : [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCvSc2b8CWc&feature=related]YouTube - The Green Fields of France[/ame] Cammy F

Lest We Forget - RIP Cammy F

Chelsea West Brom Bo'ness United Hamburg Cammy F

Same Old Deficiencies Are our old deficiencies fated to come back and haunt us, or even worse, stop us reclaiming our SPL title this season? After thumping 5 past ICT at Ibrox, we allow Dundee United to roll up to Ibrox, dictate the pace of the game and were lucky to come out of the game with a point. It wasnââ?¬â?¢t just the disappointing score we appeared to fall back into our old bad habits. Walter still insists playing a very narrow game with no natural width. When things are going against us, especially against a big, physical team, we revert to the route one philosophy which doesnââ?¬â?¢t suit our game and more importantly, our players. Against teams like DUFC, the high ball is food and drink, and this tactic nullifies the positives that Kris Boyd brings to the game. I thought that after the away victories at Torbett Towers and Easter Road, Walter had found a formula to defeat physical teams. Play the ball on the deck, play around the big lumps of centre-halves and carve them open. However, against DUFC, we continually lumped high balls up the park, Boyd was continually out-jumped and possession reverted back to DUFC (who used it well if truth be told). We are calling out for a couple of wide players to be introduced into the team. Beasley and Aaron being the first names that spring to mind. No doubt Walter will reintroduce the likes of Adam, McCulloch & the departing Burke before we see Beasley and Aaron. Then we rolled along to Rugby Park on Sunday and after a strange first half where we never really played that well, but were extremely unlucky not to go into the break 3 or 4 goals to the good (after hitting both posts, the bar, missing a penalty and having a stonewaller tuned down) we turned it around in the 2nd half scoring 4 decent goals. Again, we were denied another stonewaller when Combe clattered Broadfoot, only for the Mason In The Black to wrongly book Kirk for diving. So once again, we are consistently inconsistent and going to games now you never know what Rangers team are going to turn up. The referee had a terrible game missing 2 clear-cut penalties which would have resulted in Combe being red-carded (a yellow for each offence, although the trip on Boyd could have merited a straight red). Added to the weekly refereeing decisions going Celtcs way (Motherwell having a goal chopped off and Clarkston being controversially sent off) it once again appears that years of intimidation is paying dividends for the MOPES. Hopefully these blatant refereeing errors wonââ?¬â?¢t decided the destination of this years title. In saying that, surely the MOPES have used up all of their lucky breaks (aye right, it appears that the Masons In The Black will continue to bail them out if and when necessary). The MOPES Are Offended Again If it isnââ?¬â?¢t a jovial song regarding their faux-irishness that even tickled the funny bone of the Irish, it appears that the serial offendees have found something else to be offended about. This time, itââ?¬â?¢s the terrible combination of silence, remembrance and the poppy. The MOPES were foaming at the mouth given that the SPL instructed all clubs to wear an emblazoned poppy on their shirts to commemorate the 90th anniversary of remembrance. Some were so offended that they leafleted fellow fans asking them to walk-out of Parkhead on Saturday as some sort of ââ?¬Ë?anti-Britishââ?¬â?¢ stance. Now, this is something that has always confused me. What do the MOPES do when demonstrating against ââ?¬Ë?Britainââ?¬â?¢ and ââ?¬Ë?Britishnessââ?¬â?¢? Do they look in the mirror, point and boo at themselves? Anyway, this demonstration added to the fact that the club decided on a minutes applause instead of silence (and we all know the real reason why this decision was taken, they knew that sections of their fanbase wouldnââ?¬â?¢t observe a silence remembering those who gave their lives), this was a real slap in the face of the War Dead, the brace soldiers still serving this country in foreign fields and the families of those who have lost loved ones during conflict. The reason for them being offended, well, it is some perverse sense of their faux-irishness. It is also worth noting here that the incidences of Celtc fans singing sectarian, offensive and terrorist supporting songs has been on the increase from the start of the season. Whilst the agenda driven media continue to focus on the famine song, the MOPES are free to indulge in their dirge supporting an outlawed terrorist organisation. They are free to sing ââ?¬Ë?soon there will be no protestants at allââ?¬â?¢. They are free to use the term HUN with impunity. No one in the media will challenge them. No politician will challenge them and certainly, no one from the SPL will dare utter a word of condemnation. In all honesty, I expected nothing more from the MOPES but in shunning the War Dead, maybe, just maybe the rest of the UK will get a glimpse into the warped psyche of the average MOPE. Thomsonââ?¬â?¢s Injury Kevin Thomsonââ?¬â?¢s injury looked a bad one at the time, and today, Rangers have stated that he could be out for 8 months. This is a terrible blow to Thomson who was just starting to settle into the team and prove his worth and transfer fee. His enforced and prolonged absence has left a void in our midfield that must be filled and filled successfully. It is probably come too early for the returning Barry Ferguson as he doesnââ?¬â?¢t have the necessary match fitness. So, this could lead to a reshuffle in the midfield with Steve Davis being brought into the centre alongside Pedro Mendes. We also have the option of introducing Edu as he has impressed in a number of reserve games this season and looked a decent player on his debut earlier in the season. If Walter decides on Davis and Mendes in the centre, then he must think about playing at least one genuine wide player in the midfield. However, I can see Thomsonââ?¬â?¢s injury hastening the return of McCulloch and or Adam to the starting eleven. In saying that, the worst thing Walter could do is rush Ferguson back into the starting eleven. Ferguson is without a doubt an asset to the team, but only when fully (match) fit. Kenny Miller Well the initial furore that surrounded the rumours, then conformation that Kenny Miller had resigned for Rangers has died down. Whilst not every Rangers fan will welcome Kenny Miller back into the fold (for varying reason, most justified if Iââ?¬â?¢m honest), Iââ?¬â?¢ve always been of the opinion that if a player is wearing the Rangers jersey he deserves nothing less than my support. I didnââ?¬â?¢t want Kenny Miller back simply because I didnââ?¬â?¢t rate him as a player. I didnââ?¬â?¢t see what he could bring to Rangers and I definitely didnââ?¬â?¢t see him improving the team. Well, he has proven me and a few others like me wrong. Not only has he scored 6 goals, he has contributed to the team, his created numerous goals and appears to have stricken up a decent partnership with Kris Boyd. I still believe that the best partnership we had was Miller and Cousin, but Cousin was more of an enigma (lazy B*******!) than Kris Boyd ââ?¬â?? brilliant one moment, garbage the next. Another point especially prevalent to Kenny Millerââ?¬â?¢s detractors is that Kenny Miller didnââ?¬â?¢t sign Kenny Miller for Rangers. The management team decided that he could bring something to our team, and on the early showings, they were correct. Cammy F ââ?¬â?? Support The Dublin Loyal - WATP

An excellent gesture and hopefully it'll get the support that it deserves 3 cheers for the red white and blue, 3 cheers for the red white and blue for the army and the navy and the RAF 3 cheers for the red white and blue Cammy F

Career wise, Kevin Thompson has a better scoring record v Celtc than Kris Boyd does...... Rangers wise, they have the same scopring record v Celtc.... Cammy F

See TGFITW have decided to go to Killie in fancy dress - they are all dressed as blue plastic seats :devil: Cammy F

Boyd played well in patches last night in a game that must rank as one of the worst I have witnessed - maybe it was teh freezing weather tho rather than the fare severed up on the pitch! However, what about the attempted goal line clearance at Boyds goal? The defender dived face first along the line - comical - but you really had to see it to appreciate the funnyness of the situation Cammy F

Was being chanted all last night by TBO :cheers: Cammy F

Home Comforts After not playing at Ibrox for nearly 5 weeks we are now faced with 3 crucial home games in the space of a week. Firstly we entertain Hamilton Accies in the League Cup, then ICT and Dundee United come calling on SPL duty. The fixture list often throws up back-to-back games and after defeating Hamilton (and the inclement conditions) on Saturday, Hamilton have a swift chance to revenge the SPL defeat and knock us out of the League Cup. Following the midweek league cup tie, we have two must win SPL games at Ibrox. We deserved to win on Saturday but the conditions almost rendered the game unplayable. Hopefully the weather will have improved significantly by tomorrow evening so we can demonstrate our footballing ability and express ourselves on the expansive Ibrox surface. Walter Smith may use tomorrow evening to ensure that some fringe players get ââ?¬Ë?game timeââ?¬â?¢. This should mean a glimpse of players like Edu, Aaron, Lafferty and possibly even young Rory Loy who has impressed in the reserves / U19ââ?¬â?¢s this season. However, Iââ?¬â?¢d expect Walter will give this ââ?¬Ë?game timeââ?¬â?¢ to the tried and tested squad players like Daily, McCulloch, Adam, JCD et al. Personally, Iââ?¬â?¢d play a 4-4-2 along these lines : Alexander, SW, Broadfoot, MB, Papac, Aaron, Edu, Mendes, Beasley, Lafferty and a.n.other. League Cup Memories And A Scottish Cup Nightmare As we entertain Hamilton in the League Cup, I thought that Iââ?¬â?¢d detail some of my favourite league cup memories but will start this article with a gentle reminder not to take the threat from Hamilton lightly. No Rangers fan of a certain age will ever (or should ever) forget the 31/01/1987. This was halfway through Graeme Sounessââ?¬â?¢ initial season as Rangers player manager and after a rocky start, Rangers had started to play some decent football and had already secured the league cup, defeating Celtc 2-1 at Hampden (Durrant and Cooper the scorers). When the draw for the third round for the Scottish Cup paired us with Hamilton, we all thought that we would have a safe passage into the 4th round. Well, anyone who was at the game will remember that we had anything but, and ended u[ out on our arses with egg all over our faces. Chris Woods went into the game seeking a world record (12 games) for not conceding a goal and he actually secured this record during the game. Everything was going to plan, Rangers were pressing, a goal for Rangers was ââ?¬Ë?inevitableââ?¬â?¢, or so well all thought. Up stepped Adrian Sprott and out went Rangers. It is fair to say that during Sounessââ?¬â?¢ reign, the Scottish Cup was never kind to Rangers. The following season would see Dunfermline knock us out at the same stage of the competition and I believe we only made one SCF under Souness where we were cheated out of a treble by Celtc and another one of those Masonic referees. Trailing 1-0 to a goal scored by a throw-in taken by Celtc that was actually ours, we scored a perfectly good goal that was chopped off after Paddy Bonner tried to collect a corner, bumped into Roy Aitken, dropped the ball and it was rammed home for what should have been a Rangers equaliser. The Scottish cup is the only domestic competition we have won less than Celtc. We have dominated the league cup since its conception and we have featured in some of the most memorable League Cup Finals ever to be played. My favourites are listed below, no doubt youââ?¬â?¢ll all have your own favourites, so enjoy : Rangers 3 v 2 Celtc ââ?¬â?? McCoist hatrick 1983-1984 Rangers 3 v 3 Aberdeen ââ?¬â?? 1987-1988 Rangers 3 v 3 Aberdeen ââ?¬â?? 1988-1989 Cammy F

If Berbatov can get into the Man U team, so would Drogba.... Cammy F

Nah, fantastic striker who'ed walk into any team in Europe sums him up perfectly :cheers: Cammy F

Nah, just shouting, scuffles and Police segrating fans - still trawling you-tube as heard there is footage of 'boxing' as it kicked-off outside Old Trafford (as some Man U fan outraged timmy by having a Red Hand Of Ulster!) Another video from last night and sensatipnal news - Celtc fans singing to the world that they want to go home - [ame]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=a1VV6aj_EU4[/ame] Cammy F

As there is no Rangers related football to discuss as the Dundee UTD game was (rightly) called off due to the sad death of their Chairman Eddie Thompson I was going to, surprisingly perhaps, direct my weekly rants exclusively at Walter Smith. Firstly for his cowardly and ill informed comments regarding internet bigots, but bmck and Calscot not only beat me to it, but penned far more eloquent articles that I could ever muster : http://www.gersnetonline.net/vb/showthread.php?t=8519 http://www.gersnetonline.net/vb/showthread.php?t=8511 However, Uncle Walter doesn’t escape my attentions thanks to those excellent articles, I have a tantalising question to set you regarding Walter : If We Had A Theo Walcott, Would We Witness Is Wonder? Over the course of this season, nobody who has witnessed the mercurial skills of Theo Walcott could fail to marvel at the guile and genius of this young and raw talent. Walcott has not only starred for Arsenal, but has burst onto the international stage and set England on their way to automatic World Cup qualification thanks to brilliant displays and fantastic goals. I watching in wonder last night as a youthful Arsenal put Fenerbache to the sword in their own back yard and Walcott was at the centre of everything that was good about Arsenal. It is easy to forget just how young this lad is and his tender age can be used as an excuse (if any are needed) for when his form, inevitably falls a few percentage. So, this question that I’d like to pose is, if Rangers had a ‘Theo Walcott’, would Walter Smith play him in the starting 11 – not just in the mediocre SPL, but in European games? Now, I understand that Wlacott is a ‘one off’, the best talent to come out of England since Wayne Rooney, and don’t think for a minute that we have anyone on our books with the talent that Walcott processes. However, we might have, as when was the last time a ‘youth’ player was given an extended run in our team? I’d guess at Alan Hutton who as soon as he showed any sign of ability, was swiftly dispatched to White Hart Lane. The only young players currently that are being ‘talked up’ at Ibrox are / were John Fleck, Dean Furman and Aaron. Furman has gone on lone and the remaining pair are semi-permanent fixtures on our substitute bench. From the admittedly little that I have seen of the above trio, Fleck is without a doubt the most gifted and hopefully likely to cement a place in the Rangers team in the near future. Fleck was introduced into the dieing embers of last years Scottish Cup Final and along with the return of Beasley, Flecks fleeting appearance was the highlight of that day. Simply put, he didn’t look out of place. I don’t think I was the only Rangers fan who left Hampden that day convinced that I would see a lot more of Fleck this season. Sadly, me and a few others have been left disappointed. Given Walters record at Rangers, he doesn’t appear to be the type of manager to bring youth players into the team and give them an extended run. During the 9-in-a-row years, we saw glimpses of players like Sandy Robertson, Gary McSwegen, Stephen Pressley, Neil Murray et al who contributed to some fantastic Rangers performances both domestically and in Europe, but none were given extended runs in the team. So people, I am convinced that we have or own ‘Theo Walcott’ (in context) sitting at Murray Park but remain unconvinced that we’ll see him get an extend run in the first 11 – much to his, and our detriment. Green With Envy Yip, I’ll admit to being green with envy as I sat down last night to be entertained by Europe’s finest in the Champions League, and I’ll be just as envious as I settle down in front of the TV tonight. I’ll also admit that I am envious of our green foes participation in the CL, and yes, even given their drubbing last night, I am still a little envious of them. In fact, I’m even a tad envious of their 1 point from 50+ available away from home – Christ that’s what you call consistency (ok, ok, ok, that was a big tongue in cheek)…… There is nothing better than an European night, especially at Ibrox, or when you enjoy a fantastic trip to a foreign land. I think we’ve all got stories to tell of our expeditions and of the friends that we’ve made on our travels, both within the travelling Rangers support and friendly locals. For long-term GersNet readers this next statement will come as no surprise, but to newer readers and ‘younger’ Bears it might. Whilst I have no ‘love’ of Manchester United, I do not hold any hatred for them either. I, for a while, took delivery of Man United fanzines (some of the best zines around). I applauded and continue to applaud the Man United fans fight for their club (something we could learn from). I met a fair few Man United fans when I was down for our CL game, and every last one of them were fantastic company and the one thing that I noticed was their burning love for their club – in that respect, they reminded me of US, the Rangers support. For them, its Man U first and Man U last – they have no time for ‘2nd teams’ and no time for ‘love-ins’. Lastly, I believe that we have much in common with Manchester United. Both our clubs are deemed the most successful in our respective countries (although Liverpool would have something to say on that matter), both clubs have overcome terrible disaster and tragedy in their long and illustrious history. Both clubs are ‘hated’ in their own country due to their dominance and both clubs draw fantastic support from out-with the city and country that they belong to. So, its fair to say that I have no qualms regarding Manchester United or their fans. Some Rangers fans will point to the supposed love-in between Man United and Celtc – lets get this straight, this is a one-way street. If you read any Man United fanzines or books written by fans (or their casuals) you’ll understand that they don’t like Timmy at all. Why would they? Timmy sing a Liverpool anthem and sing songs about a terrorist group who targeted Manchester killing citizens and destroying the city. Also, it is worth noting that Manchester United pull a large section of their fanbase from the loyalist and unionist communities of Northern Ireland. Anyway, apologies for digressing, back to the point in hand. At this stage next season, I don’t want to be a mere spectator when the business end of the Champions League comes around. I want Rangers in their and fighting for the right to progress to the knock-out stages of this prestigious tournament. However, after watching some of the awesome performances last night, we have a vast amount of improving to ensure that we can compete annually at this level. To make CL qualification assured we must win the SPL title this year and that is not a formality or a foregone conclusion. Oh, I’ve added a clip from the infamous ‘you-tube’ site (you know, the one UEFA and the media use to try us) of what can only be described as an altercation outside Old Trafford last night – not much love on show here : [ame]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=bo3C4FoJ0Mk[/ame] Know Your Enemy At the moment, being a Rangers fan, especially one who uses the internet to discuss his team and on occasions, history, politics and religion, it isn’t hard knowing who your enemy is. However, until recently, you wouldn’t have put the manager of your team into the enemy camp. Some of us understand that the Chairman and his lap-dog Bain are well entrenched in the enemy camp and like nothing more than feeding the frenzied media with ‘own goals’ and attacks on Rangers fans. Walter Smith has decided to pitch in with SDM and Bain and thus, must accept the ire that will be directed at him. Now he has opened himself up for criticism relating to topics out-with squad selection, signings and tactics. He has entered the big, bad bigoted Rangers fans debate and hang his colours to the ‘establishments’ mast. I can take the agenda driven media having a go at me (as I don’t except anything else, it goes with territory). I can take agenda driven politicians having a go at me (as I don’t except anything else, it goes with territory). I can take agenda driven organisations like NMB having a go at me (as I don’t except anything else, it goes with territory). It may hurt me to the core, it might drive me to despair, but I can take SDM and Bain having a go at me (as I don’t except anything else, it goes with territory). But I’m sorry Walter, I expected better from you. Cammy F -

Brilliant piece Barry, and you know I'll disagree with you regarding the schooling issue :devil: As for you're question regarding Catholics losing their jobs due to their religion - this is a very good indication of who is being discriminated against. Wonder if anyone is brave enough to poll the religion and football leanings of employees at Glasgow City Council..... A few years ago (3 I believe) I went to see Rancid at the Barra's - as most of the guys I were with were Tims, they dragged me (kicking and screaming) into Bairds Bar for a pre-concert drink. Now, we were in early and it was us old punks and a group of young rebels (lack of a better word as I don't want to offend anyone) in the bar, and tehy were belting out their songs. One approached us and spotted me wearing a 'broken up union jack with the Sex Pistols on it' and started coming wide saying that I couldn't weat that badge in 'his pub'. Now, I was going to explain to the missguided fellow, exactly what the badge and band were all about, but I didn't think his one brain cell would cope. He was set straight, and told to fook off buy one of our group - so, it justs shows you, that they can even get offended by an anti-unionist badge / band if they so desire. BTW, some would say that I am a not only an internet bigot, but a real live bigot :cheers::devil: Cammy F

excellent post... As for Thommo v Fergie as an attacking threat, Fergie wins hands down - I believe that Thommo has scored 4 goals in his ENTIRE career (3 against the TIMS ), Fergie, when on his game and played correctly (football players around him) will get you double figures most seasons. Ferguson like all players will flourish with better players alongside him - Fergie has seen all our best midfield options sold season after season - IMO, Fergie and Pedro will be an exciting pairing - far more exciting that Pedro and Thompson IMO Cammy F

Don't know m8 - just seen it on another forum and thought that I'd post it! Wonder if any of our impartial media will tackle Reid regarding these claims now they are out in the open? Not the first time they have used YouTube footage to get us into bother. Cammy F

Stolen from another forum, but VERY interesting listening (1m8seconds in) - wonder what John Reid has to say about these alligations - if they are true (even if they aren't true), I'll not be taking moral lessons from this (alledged) IRA lovin scumbag (Reid)... [ame]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=gG4u4Wy28H0[/ame] Cammy F